BENGALURU: Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu inaugurated the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter - New Generation (ALH-NG) which made its maiden flight at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Helicopter Division on Tuesday.
Speaking after the flag-off, Naidu said, “HAL was transitioning from a defence-heavy focus to an organisation riding equally on civil and defence aviation. India should not just be a market for aviation but a factory for the world.”
Naidu said the successful flight and certification of the fully indigenous Shakti engine marked a historic step forward in Indian civil aviation manufacturing.
He also highlighted the government’s vision to expand helicopter operations nationwide, including the ambitious plan to build a heliport in every district. New norms allowing heliports to be built upon as little as two to three acres of land would make the vision scalable, he said.
The Minister also flagged a key bottleneck in manpower, noting that India currently has only one helicopter pilot training institute at Khajuraho, and called for more flying schools and simulators to support future growth.
The Dhruv NG is positioned as a versatile civilian platform for VIP transport, offshore operations, air ambulances, disaster relief, tourism and utility roles.
Designed and manufactured by HAL, the 5.5-tonne Dhruv NG is a light twin-engine, multi-role helicopter tailored for India’s varied terrain and upgraded to meet global civil aviation standards.
Powered by the indigenous Shakti 1H1C engines – now granted Type Certification by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) – the helicopter features a civil-certified glass cockpit, modern avionics, crashworthy seats, self-sealing fuel tanks and advanced vibration control systems for enhanced safety and ride comfort.
With interest from Pawan Hans, state governments and security forces, the helicopter is seen as a cost-effective alternative to imported light twin-engine aircraft and a significant step in advancing Atmanirbhar Bharat in civil aviation.